Background: Although mortality in patients with acute myocardial infarction (MI) has decreased substantially over the last few decades in many countries, MI remains a major threat to public health.
Aims: To assess the number and outcomes of patients hospitalized for acute MI in Poland in 2018 as well as proportions of patients participating in cardiac rehabilitation and undergoing invasive cardiac procedures following discharge.
Methods: We used public databases. We included all patients hospitalized for acute MI in Poland in 2018 and assessed event-free survival along with uptake of invasive cardiac procedures, cardiac rehabilitation, and consultations with cardiologists.
Results: A total of 75868 patients (mean age, 68.8 years) were hospitalized for acute MI in Poland in 2018 (the admission rate, 197.0 per 100000 inhabitants). In-hospital mortality was 8.4%, while one-year mortality was 17.3% (one-year post-discharge mortality was 9.8%). Approximately 75% and 96% of discharged patients consulted a general practitioner, whereas 12% and 62% consulted a cardiologist, 5% and 19% underwent percutaneous coronary intervention, 0.6% and 2.9% un-derwent coronary artery bypass grafting, while 0.04% and 1.9% had an implantable cardioverter defibrillator implanted within 30 days and 365 days following discharge. The participation rate in cardiac rehabilitation within the first 14 days following discharge was 11%, within the first 30 days was 19%, and within 365 days was 35%.
Conclusions: In-hospital and post-discharge mortality is still high in Poland. The access to cardiac consultations and cardiac rehabilitation following MI is insufficient. There is considerable potential for a further decrease in mortality in patients suffering from MI in Poland.
Keywords: cardiac rehabilitation; cardiovascular events; coronary artery disease; mortality; myo-cardial infarction.